Shloka 18
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५७
Arjuna’s targeted advance; Śalya–Karṇa dialogue; interception attempts
जीवन्त इव दृश्यन्ते गततत्त्वास्तरस्विन: । “इस महासमरमें फेंके गये इन चक्रों और तोमरोंको भी देखो। विजयकी अभिलाषा रखनेवाले वेगशाली योद्धा नाना प्रकारके शस्त्रोंको हाथमें लिये हुए ही अपने प्राण खो बैठे हैं; तथापि जीवित-से दिखायी देते हैं || १७ & ।। गदाविमशथितैगत्रिर्मुसलैर्भिन्नमस्तकान्
jīvanta iva dṛśyante gatatattvāstarasvinaḥ |
Sañjaya said: “Though their life has departed, the swift warriors appear as if still alive. In this great battle, even after being struck down amid the hurled weapons, they remain standing with arms in hand—so fierce is the momentum of combat and so relentless the desire for victory.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark impermanence of life in war: even the mighty can fall instantly, and yet the outward form may still seem ‘alive.’ It highlights how momentum, pride, and the thirst for victory can drive action right up to death, reminding the listener of the fragility beneath martial glory.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: warriors have been slain, yet they appear living—standing or poised as if still fighting—because they died in the very posture of action, overwhelmed by the speed and force of the combat.